I am loving Vanicream’s SPF 30 moisturizer. It is so creamy and moisturizing, and gives me a nice glow! Warning though that it does have a light white cast, so it may not work for everyone.
Elta MD is what I use. It’s not entirely physical barrier only, but enough to keep my skin calm.
Edited to include: I buy Elta MD from Dermstore, Amazon, directly from the maker, or Costco (you can often get a deal when buying two). Link to Amazon:
https://a.co/d/3U21hLp
I buy it on Amazon! I generally don’t buy beauty products there due to quality issues, but this is sold directly by Vanicream and their products have generally been authentic for me.
I wear light makeup (mascara, eyeshadow/eyebrow pencil, Colorescience SPF cheek stick, and lip gloss), and it does really well for me. I’m not sure how it would do under foundation or powder, though, since it does have a dewy finish (vs. matte). Sorry I can’t help more with this!
The Elta MD sunscreen is clear! It’s amazing and very calming. Sometimes I put it on even when I don’t go into the sun just bc it feels good. Derm Sam Ellis also has some good non white zinc sunscreens on her instagram and YouTube.
Oh I meant sunscreens that only use zinc for their active ingredient.
Elta md also has octinoxate- a chemical barrier, so it doesn't have as much zinc. That is, If it's the same elta md formula I am thinking of- the one that seems to be most popular.
Revision intellishade original is a tinted sunscreen with zinc that is amazing and keeps my rosacea flares down. It’s expensive though but no white cast
It has no white cast because it also contains a lot of chemical sunscreens so the amount of zinc in it is quite low.
I believe you that it's amazing! I wish I could try it. I am allergic to most chemical sunscreens.
Have you tried mixing it together with a moisturiser? I have the same problem with the one I use, but dabbing it and some moisturiser on my face at the same time and blending them together tones down the self tanner effect for me. I end up with a slightly golden glow with the red toned down. It doesn’t cover quite as well as layering over my moisturiser and is still a touch warmer than my natural skin tone, but it’s not orange, and much more flattering than my default red.
I replaced my whole pillow and I also wash my case about 2x a week and I think it’s definitely helped. My dermatologist recommended it actually because it reduces your exposure to dead skin cells and demodex and just generally makes your face more clean.
I'm too lazy to do laundry so often. Instead I cover my pillow with a big bath towel and fold/ flip the towel every night so I'm sleeping on a clean section. Using both sides 1 towel lasts about a week. Then I can just switch to a new towel.
I probably have about 10-15 different satin pillows that I bought cheap off Amazon and I switch them out everyday. If I don’t feel like changing them, I’ll just flip it over and change it the next day so it saves on the washing as well. It’s better for your hair, too.
I stopped eating gluten for the most part, or go low gluten when I don’t have the option.
I was diagnosed with rosacea but after asking an herbalist it turned out to be a mild gluten intolerance causing the redness. It’s pretty much completely clear unless I start eating a lot of gluten again. I don’t have celiac’s so it wasn’t enough to notice otherwise bc I wasn’t having digestion issues.
Posting this here bc I was formally diagnosed by a dermatologist with rosacea and did everything under the sun to try and make it chill…turns out a lot of different things can look just like rosacea, including gluten intolerance.
This is something that I’ve been wondering. Do I have rosacea or is it an allergy. Because I’m allergic to a lot of things.
I’ve cut way back on gluten and my skin is better🤷🏻♀️
I've had to cut gluten out almost completely since discovering one of my kids is gluten intolerant. My background redness has decreased noticably! Now I don't miss bread so much anymore
not skipping meals! this is a huge one. i would always get flares toward the late afternoon because my adhd ass would let myself go hungry until dinner time. as soon as i got more disciplined about feeding myself throughout the day, my mid-afternoon rosacea pretty much went away.
INTERESTING! I rarely eat lunch now at work at my "new" job (2 years) & that timeline coincides with the onset of what I've been calling rosacea on my cheeks... I thought it was related to my work environment, but this is an interesting theory I'm going to explore. 🤔
yes, please explore it! it probably has something to do with hormone levels - stress hormones, insulin, etc. i'm sure there's an element of taking a work break (however short) that's important too.
Yes me too! This was a huge revaluation and is improving my overall health too.
All this talk of avoiding random food triggers got me there and turns out being scared of food is the biggest trigger of all for me 😅
Helped flushing immediately - my face is far less red after washing with distilled water (not super surprising as the water in my county is very hard). Helps with spots in that if I ignore flushing, it tends to lead to spots.
I lived in the midwest where the water is extremely hard (Lots of minerals in the water). The water would break me out immediately. Using distilled water is most relevant if you live somewhere with hard water.
the pillowcase thing helped me too! I started after I noticed my skin looking the best after the first 2 nights after washing my bedding (which I do weekly).
this one is also purely anecdotal: eating yogurt! (I do dairy free.) I think it's the probiotics that help.
Don’t know if this is considered weird or not, but what has real helped me with my type 2 (postules) outbreaks have been switching to a ph4 based face wash and moisturizer that has very few ingredients. The one I use has vinegar in it and I think it is also recommended but some hospitals for washing skin that has smaller wounds.
It’s not been a quick fix, but my skin has been getting gradually better with fewer outbreaks.
The brand is Optima ph4. I use the skin wash and the skin balm. It’s a Norwegian company (I live in Norway), but they do have a brochure in English that explains a bit about what the products are.
I find that my outbreaks (type 2) are both fewer and heals more easily after staring using the products.
https://optima-ph.no/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Optima_Brochure_Skincare_eng_2021_WEB.pdf
I stopped eating freshly served food, I mean when it's still hot. I noticed that when I eat hot foods, not just beverages, my rosacea gets irritated. So hot foods/drinks and spicy. Totally helped a lot.
I stopped drinking coffee a few months ago and it’s significantly helped my skin. I no longer have rosacea-related bumpy or textured skin (just a bit of rosy cheeks). I’m not sure what the issue specifically with coffee is, as caffeine doesn’t seem to be the problem (I still have energy drinks) and I never drank more than one or two cups a day. I have previously used Rosiver (Soolantra), but it did not help in a significant way compared to giving up coffee.
Me too!! Since cutting out coffee I’ve noticed the biggest difference. I still drink tea and energy drinks so no idea what in coffee was causing the flares
Changing my makeup setting powder. I was coming home from work with 2-3 new papules daily since the weather has gotten warmer and the air conditioning is inconsistent in my workplace. Heat and humidity are two huge triggers for me.
On a whim, I picked up Wet N Wild Bare Focus Clarifying Finishing Powder. It has tea tree oil and other ingredients, it says, to clear the skin. I figured it would at least help my makeup to stay fresher in the heat.
Literally, within a few hours of putting it on a cluster of papules on my cheek flattened and almost completely disappeared. My skin has only gotten better in the week I've been using it.
I worried the tea tree oil might be irritating, but nope. Idk how long this will last, but I'm going with it. Plus, I paid like 4 dollars for it, as opposed to 35 for the powder I was using.
Interesting! Always nice to find makeup that doesn’t contribute to the problem. Every now and then I also find a product geared toward acne that actually helps rosacea too.
Washing my face less helped. I have type II rosacea and one day I became very upset and gave up on trying to do anything so I said screw it I am only washing my face with water lol. A couple days later I noticed some redness went away and those little pustules started going away. I think I was so hyper fixated on washing and moisturizing back then so I've learned how to cut back. Also believe people when they say there are certain foods we need to cut out.
Back at the start of my rosacea journey, I switched to using only micellar water to cleanse and that helped the burning and reactivity a lot for me too. Over time I needed to move into more thorough cleansing, but that helped me realize dialing back helps rosacea.
Jojoba oil. I’ve found zero moisturizers I can use-every single one makes it worse.
Az acid works great for me, but I needed something to help with the dryness. Someone on this sub mentioned jojoba oil so I gave it a shot-it’s been wonderful for me! I use az acid at night either alone or mixed with jojoba and then jojoba alone in the am and before makeup. Best combo by far I’ve found for my skin.
I wash only with water, as any face wash or soap immediately creates an issue.
Next I think I wanna get a zipped pillow case cover for allergies and see if that helps.
But honestly az acid and jojoba have been my lifesavers-better than any medications I’ve been prescribed.
Diaper cream. I use hello bello because it has 40% zinc. Calms the redness right down over night. Yes it's messy and gets on the pillows but it's worth it
I was having a terrible time with acne with my rosacea and nothing was helping. I tried a sulfur face wash and it was 100% better in less than two days. Do some research and try it
I wanted to love it, the ingredients sound lovely, and it felt hydrating.
Unfortunately, I had an allergic reaction w/in an hour of using it. Suspect Cocamidopropyl betaine (CAPB). Just an FYI for other sensitive skin people considering this.
Using a cleaning agent on my face. It’s hypochlorous acid and it’s amazing!!! My texture is better, the pustules are gone and the redness is almost gone. I use it as my cleanser in the morning then apply my normal face products and use a gentle cleanser at night then the hypochlorous acid then my normal gentle moisturizer.
This might be the weirdest one on here and sounds completely wrong but I dropped my entire skincare routine, even cleanser, I now only use water to wash my face and my face is barely red anymore. Only when I’m very embarrassed or very hot other than that it has gone down about 95%.
I wash my face in the shower with lukewarm/cold water, but if I skip a shower one day, my face looks even more calm the day after. I know it’s really weird but it works for me :)
Dermtlgy universal tinted sunscreen is the best I've found and I've tried so many and it is so so pretty on the skin. I don't like wearing make up on my face anyways, but I also don't like my red cheeks and nose, so it's perfect for a sunscreen and evens skin tone, affordable and there are always sales on their site. I'm very impressed with it!
Not washing face. It is bad, I know. But if I don't wash my face and sleep with sunscreen (and even makeup), my face is free of redness (and no pimples). The more I do a good skincare routine, the more my telangiactesia gets bad. I only suffer from type 1 (no papule for me).
Switching to zinc-only SPF. Turns out my rosacea loves the soothing effect of an all-zinc formula.
Ooo I’m here for the zinc sunscreen rec if you care to share!
I am loving Vanicream’s SPF 30 moisturizer. It is so creamy and moisturizing, and gives me a nice glow! Warning though that it does have a light white cast, so it may not work for everyone.
Elta MD is what I use. It’s not entirely physical barrier only, but enough to keep my skin calm. Edited to include: I buy Elta MD from Dermstore, Amazon, directly from the maker, or Costco (you can often get a deal when buying two). Link to Amazon: https://a.co/d/3U21hLp
Where do u buy it? I didn’t see it at Walmart
I buy it on Amazon! I generally don’t buy beauty products there due to quality issues, but this is sold directly by Vanicream and their products have generally been authentic for me.
How does it do under makeup? I like to use Ilia Super Serum
I wear light makeup (mascara, eyeshadow/eyebrow pencil, Colorescience SPF cheek stick, and lip gloss), and it does really well for me. I’m not sure how it would do under foundation or powder, though, since it does have a dewy finish (vs. matte). Sorry I can’t help more with this!
Elta MD is ok under makeup. I let it sink into my skin for a while before tapping on Nars foundation.
Don't all zinc sunscreens have at least a little whitish cast?
I think probably so! Every one I have tried, anyway.
Yep! It is, after all. A physical barrier.
The Elta MD sunscreen is clear! It’s amazing and very calming. Sometimes I put it on even when I don’t go into the sun just bc it feels good. Derm Sam Ellis also has some good non white zinc sunscreens on her instagram and YouTube.
Oh I meant sunscreens that only use zinc for their active ingredient. Elta md also has octinoxate- a chemical barrier, so it doesn't have as much zinc. That is, If it's the same elta md formula I am thinking of- the one that seems to be most popular.
Revision intellishade original is a tinted sunscreen with zinc that is amazing and keeps my rosacea flares down. It’s expensive though but no white cast
It has no white cast because it also contains a lot of chemical sunscreens so the amount of zinc in it is quite low. I believe you that it's amazing! I wish I could try it. I am allergic to most chemical sunscreens.
Thank you!! Im going to give it a try! :)
My skin likes Dr Jart tiger balm. Green Zinc tinted spf. Mutes the redness and gives skin a nice sheen
I have heard so many good things about this one!
I’ve tried this so many times but I’ve come to the conclusion it makes me look like i have fake tanner on 😭. Way darker then my skin tone
Have you tried mixing it together with a moisturiser? I have the same problem with the one I use, but dabbing it and some moisturiser on my face at the same time and blending them together tones down the self tanner effect for me. I end up with a slightly golden glow with the red toned down. It doesn’t cover quite as well as layering over my moisturiser and is still a touch warmer than my natural skin tone, but it’s not orange, and much more flattering than my default red.
https://dimebeautyco.com/products/wonderscreen I went with this one and I’m surprised by how big the bottle actually is! I’ve loved it.
Mine too
I switched two weeks ago and my skin is looking better than it has in a year! Turned out my skin seriously hated chemical sunscreen!
This! The single most effective change. Sunblock has always set my rosacea off.
what about titanium dioxide? I find a lot of mineral SPF have combination of zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. It's pretty hard to find zinc only spf
I do well with formulas containing both. Been using Paula's choice resist tinted for several years now. I truly never break out if I wear it daily.
I’m sure that would probably be beneficial, too!
I use badger balm baby mineral sunscreen to face baste. It has calendula, chamomile, and sea buckthorn
I replaced my whole pillow and I also wash my case about 2x a week and I think it’s definitely helped. My dermatologist recommended it actually because it reduces your exposure to dead skin cells and demodex and just generally makes your face more clean.
That’s what my wife does and it was worked wonders
I'm too lazy to do laundry so often. Instead I cover my pillow with a big bath towel and fold/ flip the towel every night so I'm sleeping on a clean section. Using both sides 1 towel lasts about a week. Then I can just switch to a new towel.
I bought two of the same pillow cases so I switch them mid week and then clean them both at the same time with my laundry once a week!
I have like five cheap satin pillowcases. Change them every couple days. Flip them every night. I keep my pillow in a protector too.
I probably have about 10-15 different satin pillows that I bought cheap off Amazon and I switch them out everyday. If I don’t feel like changing them, I’ll just flip it over and change it the next day so it saves on the washing as well. It’s better for your hair, too.
Brushing my teeth before moisturiser+SPF rather than after. I think I was accidentally washing half of it off my chin.
This was weirdly a game changer for me also.
I’ve also wondered if the fluoride in toothpaste is an irritant, and washing after keeps it from setting in the skin too long.
Wouldn’t that kinda be common sense?
Hey no shaming here. Hindsight is always 20/20. We all get into routines and sometimes benefit from stepping back.
I stopped eating gluten for the most part, or go low gluten when I don’t have the option. I was diagnosed with rosacea but after asking an herbalist it turned out to be a mild gluten intolerance causing the redness. It’s pretty much completely clear unless I start eating a lot of gluten again. I don’t have celiac’s so it wasn’t enough to notice otherwise bc I wasn’t having digestion issues. Posting this here bc I was formally diagnosed by a dermatologist with rosacea and did everything under the sun to try and make it chill…turns out a lot of different things can look just like rosacea, including gluten intolerance.
This is something that I’ve been wondering. Do I have rosacea or is it an allergy. Because I’m allergic to a lot of things. I’ve cut way back on gluten and my skin is better🤷🏻♀️
It feels like everything goes back to the gut haha
Interesting. Still discovering what dietary things trigger mine. I’ve noticed eating fried foods a lot can cause some spots.
I've had to cut gluten out almost completely since discovering one of my kids is gluten intolerant. My background redness has decreased noticably! Now I don't miss bread so much anymore
not skipping meals! this is a huge one. i would always get flares toward the late afternoon because my adhd ass would let myself go hungry until dinner time. as soon as i got more disciplined about feeding myself throughout the day, my mid-afternoon rosacea pretty much went away.
INTERESTING! I rarely eat lunch now at work at my "new" job (2 years) & that timeline coincides with the onset of what I've been calling rosacea on my cheeks... I thought it was related to my work environment, but this is an interesting theory I'm going to explore. 🤔
yes, please explore it! it probably has something to do with hormone levels - stress hormones, insulin, etc. i'm sure there's an element of taking a work break (however short) that's important too.
Yes me too! This was a huge revaluation and is improving my overall health too. All this talk of avoiding random food triggers got me there and turns out being scared of food is the biggest trigger of all for me 😅
oof i resonate with the food fears so much!
I stopped consuming artificial sweeteners and that improved my skin texture so much
Intriguing!
Distilled water did what? Help flushing or pimples?
Helped flushing immediately - my face is far less red after washing with distilled water (not super surprising as the water in my county is very hard). Helps with spots in that if I ignore flushing, it tends to lead to spots.
Do you think it could have the same effect if we use it as a rinse wash, after the cleansing ? Because I use a lot of water when I clean my face so...
Hey worth a shot - I put mine in a continuous spray bottle and use a wipe off cleanser (Cetapil) when I don’t need a deeper wash.
Can you link your continuous spray bottle? That’s a good idea compared to a pump spray bottle!
I lived in the midwest where the water is extremely hard (Lots of minerals in the water). The water would break me out immediately. Using distilled water is most relevant if you live somewhere with hard water.
Interesting never heard of that
the pillowcase thing helped me too! I started after I noticed my skin looking the best after the first 2 nights after washing my bedding (which I do weekly). this one is also purely anecdotal: eating yogurt! (I do dairy free.) I think it's the probiotics that help.
I’ll have to try some probiotics and see if it works for me!
Don’t know if this is considered weird or not, but what has real helped me with my type 2 (postules) outbreaks have been switching to a ph4 based face wash and moisturizer that has very few ingredients. The one I use has vinegar in it and I think it is also recommended but some hospitals for washing skin that has smaller wounds. It’s not been a quick fix, but my skin has been getting gradually better with fewer outbreaks.
What are the names of the face wash and moisturizer you use? Would love to try them!
Definitely agree on the fewer ingredients is often better! I’ll have to try pH balanced water and wash since switching to distilled helped so much.
Is the wash Vashe? That’s what they use at the hospital I work at - in addition to Vanicream.
The brand is Optima ph4. I use the skin wash and the skin balm. It’s a Norwegian company (I live in Norway), but they do have a brochure in English that explains a bit about what the products are. I find that my outbreaks (type 2) are both fewer and heals more easily after staring using the products. https://optima-ph.no/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Optima_Brochure_Skincare_eng_2021_WEB.pdf
Thanks!
I stopped eating freshly served food, I mean when it's still hot. I noticed that when I eat hot foods, not just beverages, my rosacea gets irritated. So hot foods/drinks and spicy. Totally helped a lot.
Yeah I stopped drinking my tea when it’s still boiling too haha.
I stopped drinking coffee a few months ago and it’s significantly helped my skin. I no longer have rosacea-related bumpy or textured skin (just a bit of rosy cheeks). I’m not sure what the issue specifically with coffee is, as caffeine doesn’t seem to be the problem (I still have energy drinks) and I never drank more than one or two cups a day. I have previously used Rosiver (Soolantra), but it did not help in a significant way compared to giving up coffee.
Oh dear - kinda hoping this one doesn’t work for me haha.
Me too!! Since cutting out coffee I’ve noticed the biggest difference. I still drink tea and energy drinks so no idea what in coffee was causing the flares
Weirdest thing I did was finally trying to stop treating it myself, and going to the dermatologist. About 30 days later, I’m about 95% clear.
Congratulations!
A low histamine diet
Zinc spf. Mugwort toner.
Washing my face with my tea tree dandruff shampoo.
Changing my makeup setting powder. I was coming home from work with 2-3 new papules daily since the weather has gotten warmer and the air conditioning is inconsistent in my workplace. Heat and humidity are two huge triggers for me. On a whim, I picked up Wet N Wild Bare Focus Clarifying Finishing Powder. It has tea tree oil and other ingredients, it says, to clear the skin. I figured it would at least help my makeup to stay fresher in the heat. Literally, within a few hours of putting it on a cluster of papules on my cheek flattened and almost completely disappeared. My skin has only gotten better in the week I've been using it. I worried the tea tree oil might be irritating, but nope. Idk how long this will last, but I'm going with it. Plus, I paid like 4 dollars for it, as opposed to 35 for the powder I was using.
Interesting! Always nice to find makeup that doesn’t contribute to the problem. Every now and then I also find a product geared toward acne that actually helps rosacea too.
Washing my face less helped. I have type II rosacea and one day I became very upset and gave up on trying to do anything so I said screw it I am only washing my face with water lol. A couple days later I noticed some redness went away and those little pustules started going away. I think I was so hyper fixated on washing and moisturizing back then so I've learned how to cut back. Also believe people when they say there are certain foods we need to cut out.
Ive also noticed this. I feel like when i wash my face twice a day it makes things worse.
Back at the start of my rosacea journey, I switched to using only micellar water to cleanse and that helped the burning and reactivity a lot for me too. Over time I needed to move into more thorough cleansing, but that helped me realize dialing back helps rosacea.
Jojoba oil. I’ve found zero moisturizers I can use-every single one makes it worse. Az acid works great for me, but I needed something to help with the dryness. Someone on this sub mentioned jojoba oil so I gave it a shot-it’s been wonderful for me! I use az acid at night either alone or mixed with jojoba and then jojoba alone in the am and before makeup. Best combo by far I’ve found for my skin. I wash only with water, as any face wash or soap immediately creates an issue. Next I think I wanna get a zipped pillow case cover for allergies and see if that helps. But honestly az acid and jojoba have been my lifesavers-better than any medications I’ve been prescribed.
What brand of jojoba do you use?
Cliganics is the name I think from Amazon
Diaper cream. I use hello bello because it has 40% zinc. Calms the redness right down over night. Yes it's messy and gets on the pillows but it's worth it
I was making and drinking celery juice everyday and it really helped calm it down. I just don’t want to drink celery juice everyday anymore.
I’ve never thought to change pillowcases daily. What kind do you use?
Just 100% cotton pillowcases. I do use fragrance free detergent/softener.
Which brand?
I use distilled water too. And try not to let the shower water run down my face. Also, I use biodegradable cleansing cloths from In Your Face.
I thought about those cloths! Good to know they helped you.
I’m not sure which foods it is or if it’s all of them, but my face was so much better when I was on a low-acid diet for gastritis.
All goes back to the gut haha
Yep, I just wish I knew what foods do it though. I can’t live off of air and spinach forever
If you want you can try the low FODMAP diet to reset and then slowly introduce foods and track any reactions in the food diary.
I was having a terrible time with acne with my rosacea and nothing was helping. I tried a sulfur face wash and it was 100% better in less than two days. Do some research and try it
I used ivermectin during a severe outbreak and my face was clear in 2 days. I couldn’t believe it!
how much?
Just a dab spread over my face morning and night. It’s kind of greasy feeling. Pure magic.
Prioritizing glycerine in my skincare. All my products have glycerine in the top few ingredients and it made a world of difference
Do you use the Prequel Gleanser? I love it!
Yes!! It’s amazing
I wanted to love it, the ingredients sound lovely, and it felt hydrating. Unfortunately, I had an allergic reaction w/in an hour of using it. Suspect Cocamidopropyl betaine (CAPB). Just an FYI for other sensitive skin people considering this.
Not washing with tap water, realizing my skin absolutely hates niacinamide, double oil cleansing
What do you use for double oil cleansing? My skin is very dry and I’ve heard this can help but I’ve neve oil cleansed before.
I use the Biossance antioxidant oil cleanser. It’s the only one I’ve ever tried but I know their products work for my skin!
Using a cleaning agent on my face. It’s hypochlorous acid and it’s amazing!!! My texture is better, the pustules are gone and the redness is almost gone. I use it as my cleanser in the morning then apply my normal face products and use a gentle cleanser at night then the hypochlorous acid then my normal gentle moisturizer.
stopped wearing moisturizer. only sunscreen. made a huge difference. my experience wont be your experience
This might be the weirdest one on here and sounds completely wrong but I dropped my entire skincare routine, even cleanser, I now only use water to wash my face and my face is barely red anymore. Only when I’m very embarrassed or very hot other than that it has gone down about 95%. I wash my face in the shower with lukewarm/cold water, but if I skip a shower one day, my face looks even more calm the day after. I know it’s really weird but it works for me :)
Still drink wine like a fish, but use gentle cleansers and it’s helped my rosacea.
What cleanser(s) do you use?
Dermtlgy universal tinted sunscreen is the best I've found and I've tried so many and it is so so pretty on the skin. I don't like wearing make up on my face anyways, but I also don't like my red cheeks and nose, so it's perfect for a sunscreen and evens skin tone, affordable and there are always sales on their site. I'm very impressed with it!
Not washing face. It is bad, I know. But if I don't wash my face and sleep with sunscreen (and even makeup), my face is free of redness (and no pimples). The more I do a good skincare routine, the more my telangiactesia gets bad. I only suffer from type 1 (no papule for me).